Hans Hahn (night fighter pilot)

Hans Hahn (21 February 1919 – 11 October 1941) was a Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership; his was the first awarded to a night fighter.^[1]

Hans Hahn
Born	21 February 1919 Rheydt
Died	11 October 1941(1941-10-11) (aged 22) Grantham, England
Buried	Cannock Chase German war cemetery, England
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1940–1941
Rank	Leutnant
Unit	NJG 2
Battles/wars	World War II Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Victories

During his career he claimed twelve aerial victories, all of them at night.^{[Note 1]}

Most successful Night Fighter pilot until his death. On five occasions, he returned to his base at Gilze-Rijen on one engine. Once he returned with a balloon cable wrapped around his wing in his C-4.^[1]

Before his last mission, he had brought down ten British planes in England:

• His first known victory, a Wellington near Linton-on-Ouse on the night of 24–25 October 1940.
• His 2nd, a Whitley on the East Anglia coast, 50 km east of Withernsea, the night of 2–3 January 1941.
• His 3rd, a Hudson at Leeming on the night of 12–13 March 1941.
• His 4th, a Blenheim over England on the night of 13–14 March 1941.
• His 5th, a Hampden at Upwood, 8 April 1941.
• His 6th, a Wellington at Wellingore on 8 April 1941.
• His 7th, a Hampden SE of Waddington the night of 16–17 April 1941.
• His 8th, a Herford at Digby on 21 April 1941.
• His 9th, a Fulmar at Stoke Holy Cross on 3–4 May 1941.
• His 10th, a Blenheim at Feltwell, 5 May 1941.^[1]

Death

 

Graves of Hans Hahn (1919–1941) and Helmut Scheidt (1919–1941), Deutsch Soldatenfriedhof Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, England

Hans Hahn was killed near Grantham, England, on 11 October 1941 after his JU 88 collided with a RAF Oxford trainer aircraft he targeted. He is buried at Cannock Chase German war cemetery.^[2]

Awards

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 July 1941 as Leutnant and pilot in the I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2^{[3][Note 2]}

Notes

1. For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces
2. According to Scherzer as pilot in the 3./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2.^[4]

References

Citations

1. Kracker Database of World War II Luftwaffe aircrew.
2. "Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V." Retrieved 9 December 2016.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 211.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 361.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.